By Davies Iheamnachor, PORT HARCOURT

The Nigerian Army has called on the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, for intervention to end illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.

General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen. O. Oluyede, made the request, yesterday, when he received the Interim Administrator of PAP, Col. Milland Dikio (retd) in his office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Oluyede identified some of the persons involved in the act as ex-agitators, who were ignorant of the harm they are doing to the region’s environment, adding that army is ready to partner PAP and other relevant bodies and agencies of government to end the environmental menace.

He said: “We commend you on the remarkable success you have recorded since your appointment and urge you to continue. We also want you to intervene in the issue of illegal oil bunkering.”

Meanwhile, Dikio in his remarks, said: “We are creating more awareness on the issue. Recently, some of our delegates, ex-agitators held a sensitisation workshop here in Port Harcourt as part of our efforts to end illegal oil bunkering.

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“Let me state that anyone involved in kpofire is like a murderer. They’ve made the atmosphere in and around Port Harcourt a health hazard. That is how bad it is.”

He urged persons involved in illegal bunkering to redirect their energy into palm oil business.

He said: “Rather than engage in kpofire business which endanger the health of the people in the region and in addition destroy our environment and eco system, it is better to go into palm oil production.

“That is a very lucrative business. A ton of palm oil currently above $5,000 which is a lot more than a ton of crude oil can fetch.”

Vanguard News Nigeria